Senior’s return provides big lift for Pirettes

Poth’s Alyssa Kallies makes a dig during a UIL Class 3A state semifinal volleyball match against Shallowater on Nov. 20 at the Cullwell Center in Garland.

Poth’s Alyssa Kallies makes a dig during a UIL Class 3A state semifinal volleyball match against Shallowater on Nov. 20 at the Cullwell Center in Garland.

Photo: Ashley Landis, Contributor / Ashley Landis

Photo: Ashley Landis, Contributor / Ashley Landis

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Poth’s Alyssa Kallies makes a dig during a UIL Class 3A state semifinal volleyball match against Shallowater on Nov. 20 at the Cullwell Center in Garland.

Poth’s Alyssa Kallies makes a dig during a UIL Class 3A state semifinal volleyball match against Shallowater on Nov. 20 at the Cullwell Center in Garland.

Photo: Ashley Landis, Contributor / Ashley Landis

Senior’s return provides big lift for Pirettes

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GARLAND — Poth’s Alyssa Kallies grew restless as the days turned into weeks.

This was going to be a special season for the Pirettes, and Kallies wanted to help the aspirations become a reality.

But a broken right foot, suffered when she came down on another player’s foot during a preseason scrimmage only three days before the start of the season in August, sidelined the 5-foot-10 senior for more than a month. She was relegated to being a bystander, anxious to return.

“It was hard,” Kallies said. “Everyone was telling me to, basically, not come back when I wanted to come back. It just so happened that it was perfect timing. It was right when they said I was supposed to be back (that I returned from the injury).”

Kallies’ return has been key to why the Pirettes are playing in the UIL Class 3A state final against Brock (39-6) at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Culwell Center.

Poth is making its 12th appearance in a state final in 20 seasons. The team is aiming for its ninth championship.

Brock is in the state tournament for the third straight season, including making the final for the second time in three years. The Eagles won the championship in 2012.

The Pirettes’ surge into the state title match coincided with Kallies’ return. They were 20-14 without her in the lineup, but have gone 17-1 since she played her first match Sept. 19 against Luling.

“It’s great to be back,” said Kallies, who has 129 kills and 143 digs in 18 matches, with her kills ranking fourth on the team. “There has been a lot of adversity this year, and that makes this, altogether, so much better. It takes everybody — there’s no doubt about that. We are a team, and it’s one of the best feelings to have that.”

Kallies learned that during her time away from the court. She found inspiration during her rehabilitation in fellow senior Alison Jarzombek, sidelined with a season-ending shoulder injury.

“Having her there was huge for me,” Kallies said. “She knew that she wasn’t going to be back, and I knew it could have been so much worse, so that was a big drive for me to overcome that.”